Ferrybank and the ABC of Arts Book

On Wednesday, with the help of some local members of the party in South Kilkenny, Cllr Anne Phelan and I did a mix of canvassing and leaflet dropping in some of the house estates in Ferrybank. In the evening Anne and I attended on behalf of Kilkenny County Council the launch of ‘Ferrybank & the ABC of Arts Book’ in the Parish Centre. The Ferrybank Community Development Group has done an outstanding job and is a credit to all the people in the area. Popular myth would have us believe that community spirit is gone and it is everyone for themselves in modern Ireland, however community groups this proves that people do still care and are willing to give their time and effort. Community groups across Carlow / Kilkenny do amazing work, often without the recognition they deserve. It is clear that funding must be targeted to these groups to help them continue this work.
On Saturday, I was again on the campaign trail in South Kilkenny, this time Mooncoin village. Mooncoin is a beautiful village and like many it has seen the local population increase rapidly with new housing developments. Again a very good reaction on the doors and issues were raised about facilities and resources needed within the village. Now that the election is drawing close you can feel people starting to focus more on how they will vote.

Time for the government to admit their mistake.

Spent Saturday back on the canvas, which was my first day back after the holidays. My fellow Labour Councillor Anne Phelan joined me on the canvas in the village of Goresbridge. Goresbridge is within the local election area which both Anne and I represent. We both take pride in the fact that the Labour Party has the highest number of councillors in this area.

The main issue on the doors steps in Goresbridge was the closure of the local secondary school, St. Brigid's, a few years back. The local parents to their credit ran a very positive campaign to save the school and are now being proven correct in the fact that the school was needed. The schools in the surrounding areas are reaching full capacity and there is a need to cater for the increase numbers over the next few years. I am glad to say that both Anne and I were very strong in support for keeping the school open. However the Department of Education and government TD’s from the area did not listen to the people, invest in the school and keep it open.

Frankly, to this day I cannot see any sense in closing a great school like St. Brigid’s. It is quite clear to me as well as everyone in the local area that a school now needs to be rebuilt in Goresbridge. Needless to say government TD’s will be falling over each other offering to lobby on the matter closer to the election.

It is time for the government and the department to admit they were wrong and start the plans to reopen the school; of course they will in the process waste millions replacing the school they closed in the first place. Not that wasting hard working families tax money matters to this government, wasting money is something they are very good at.